Water-skate.



J. LONGWELL.

WATER SKATE.

APPLIGATION FILED JULYs, 1910.

Patented m2511228, 1911.

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@i mm @MAM .40 journaled.

means of suitable brackets 4, is a pair ot.

52 brackets, by means of bolts '7.

.bolts 7 are located above the runners 5A so lthat when the `lilades 6 have turned into horif AF PATENT, FFlQln.

JAMES LoNGwELL, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

estrae.

Application led July 5, 1910. Serial No. 570,291.

' o oit' whom. it 11m/y concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES LoNGwELI., a citizen off the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and'l useful Improvements in Vater Skates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ottie invention, such as will enable others i.; skil ed in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved device for use in walkingor traveling upon the water, such device being 't5 herein designated as water skates.

To such ends the invention consists of the devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and dened 'in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings; Figure 1 is a 'plan view showing one'of the-improved water skates; Fig. 2 is a right side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the watersskate; Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken approXimately on the line m4 m4 of F-ig. 2; Fig. A5

is a detail in section taken on the line x5 m5 of Fig. 2; and, Fig. 6 is a detail in left side elevation showing means for securing the ends of the propeller blade controlling cables or Hexible connections.

'The body of' the .water skate is afforded by a long thin sheet metal tube or can' 1, the

ends of which are preferably madeconical,

and, as shown, cappedby the conical flanges of guide. brackets 2, in the pronged ends of which small anti-friction guide rolls 3` are Secured to the airI tube 1, by

' parallel runners 5, that project below the said tube andare adapted to engage with the ground when the water skate is run out of the water and on the dry land.

The three intermediate brackets 4 afford supports for three propelling blades 6, that work between the runners 5, and are pivotally connectedto depending legs of the said lThe pivot .zontal positions,- as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, they will be lockedsafely-f'above the lower ground engaging surfaces of said `sho\vn, is applied to this toot piece.

runner.

The upper portions of the three intermediate clamping bracketsI 4 are rigidly secured to a tcp bar S, the frontportion ot which is extended upward to afford a podes tal 9. The foot `piece 10 is inteimediately pivoted to the bar S for limited oscillatory movements, and in Fig. 2, the shoeA 11. This pedestal 9 is provided with an upright. but 65 preferably, slightly oblique slot 12. which, at its upper extremity, is extended transversely to aitordlock seats 153 and 14. Hand pieces shown as made up each of a pair of knobs 15 and threaded connecting stems 1G. are adapted to be secured inthe seats 13 and 14 or to be moved in the slot 12 -of the pedestal 9.

A flexible controlling connection 17, preferably in the form of a cable'or chain, isattached to the lower edge portion of the propellingblades 6./ The front end portion of vthis controlling connect-ion or cable 17 isI passed overv the front guide roll 3, over a. guide pole 18, on the upper portion ofthe front bracket 4, under a .guide `wheel 19 applied on one side of the base of the pedestal 9, and, from thence.,- ,iscxtended iipivard and attached tei/one. cf'tlie end pieces 15. The real portifn of said cable ,17 is passed Q ver the rear guide roll.3, overl a guide bolt 20 onthe upper portion the rear clamping bracket 4, undersuita-ble guides on the iup'per portions of .,tivo, of the Vintermediate brackets 4. thence, "under a' guide pin 21 on the baseof the pedestal. 9,' and from thence, upward and is attached to the other of the noted hand pieces 15.o When the two hand pieces 15 are secured at the top of the pedestal, as shown in Fig. 2, the propeller blade controlling cable will be secured at both ends and the said propeller.v blades G v will-be locked in their down turned positions;

When it is desiredto travel forward or toward the right in respect t'o Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the hand piecel to which the front end portion of the cable 17 is attached, is' moved down to the lower extremity ofthe pedestal Islot 12, while the other hand piece is left in y its raised position. Under theseconditions, fire cahle 17 will act as a stop preventing the propeller'blades from movingforward of vertical 'fpositions, but will permit the` said are. applied to the feet vof the operator theyA will be moved Jforward alternately and the one will alici-d a base ot reaction while the other water skate is moved forward.

'lVhen it is desired to cause the skate to.

travel backward, the front end portion of the cable 17 should be drawn up and the rear end portion thereof released, and when this is done the -t'olding movements of the propeller blade will be. reversed. lf at any time when traveling in any direction it is desired to quickly .stop the movement of the skate the loose end of the cable may be drawn up thereby securing the propeller blade G in downtnrncd positions vand against Yfolding' movement in either'l direction.

ln traveling over the ground with the soealled water skates applied to the feet, the runners .3 may be slid along the ground. At such time` the propeller blades 6 should be secured in their upturned horizontal position indicatedby dot-ted lines in Fig. 2. This may be accomplished iirst by releasing or giving slack to the forward portion of the cable 17 and by then passing the upper end of the rear portion ot the said cable over a small guide roller 22 on the upper portion oi the pedestal 9, and then drawing the cable end down in the pedestal slot l2 and Secur ing the hand piece to the lovver portion of the pedestal by screwing tl e' knobs tegether.

The so-called water skates described may, by a person who has become expert, be used to travel on the Water by movements which resemble the movements in .skating on ice. When the floats or vvater tubes are in the water, thc'iunners 5 all'ord sufficient keel to prevent' the same from being drifted sidewise out of their intended course. As shown in Fig. 8, the so-called blade controlling cable 17 is divided or made double'at its lower central portion as indicated at 17a and this divided portion is attached to the lower edge of the propeller blade (i.

What I claim is:

l. A Water skate comprising a float, a prod peller blade pivotally connected thereto, a controlling cable connected to and extended in opposite directions from said blade, and means for holding said cable to limit the pivotal movement of said propeller blade and for rendering the same operative in either direction of travel of said skate, substantially as described.

2. In arvater skate the combination with an air tube, and a pro eller blade pivoted to and depending there rom, of acontrolling cable extendedV in opposite direction from said blade and over guides on said air tube,

and means on top of said air tube for ad justably securing the ends of said cable, substantially as described.

3. ln a water skate the combination With an airtime, of a propeller blade pivoted thereto and depending therefrom, a pedestal on top ot said air tube, a blade controlling cable extending in opposite directions from said blade over suitable guides ori-said air tube'and pedestal, and hand pieces applied to the ends of said cable and adjustably securable on said pedestal, substantially as described.

4. In a Water skate the combination with an air tube having runners secured below the same, ot blades pivotally connected to said tube and depending therefronna pedestal and foot piece lon top of said. air tube, a controlling cable extending in opposite directions from said propeller-blades and over' suitable guides on said air tubeand pedestal, and hand piecesapplied to the ends of said cable and y'adjustably secured on said pedestal, substa'ntially as described.

ln testimony whereof It affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. A

y JAMES LONGWELL.

Witnesses: A i

HARRY D. KiLeoan, .i B. G. VHEELER. 

